The Queen's Coronation

By Jennifer Ryan

Book Overview

As a young Queen Elizabeth II prepares to take the throne, three women in her employ will discover where they belong in a rapidly changing world in this heartwarming novel from the bestselling author of The Chilbury Ladies' Choir.

London, 1953. Buckingham Palace and the many employees vital to the smooth running of the monarchy find themselves in bedlam as the Queen's coronation quickly approaches.

Caroline Brimstone, assistant dresser to the queen, watches the queen finding the strength to rule--a woman taking charge of her future. Meanwhile, Caroline's life is worn thin by her gambler husband, and she is barely holding on as every penny she earns seems to run out the door. When a trip to Balmoral brings her face-to-face with the man she once loved, she finds herself at a crossroads between what her life is and what her life could be. Can she, like the queen, find the strength to define her own future?

Lucy Jones is a junior wardrobe assistant who positively radiates life--she's young, idealistic, and eager to become a famous singer. So when a handsome, wealthy man at the palace promises to help her on her way to stardom, she's over the moon to have such a supportive husband-to-be. And if he's asking some things of her that she's not quite sure about, isn't that just part of the glamorous life?

Miranda Miller has come over from America just in time to help with preparations as a temporary secretary in the palace. The job is a perfect way to gather information for the article she's writing about the coronation for a magazine back in New York; the article that will keep her boss from firing her because of her gender.

But as all three women discover, just because a woman will soon be sitting upon the throne, it doesn't mean that society will change overnight--and if they want to carve places for themselves in this world, they'll have to do it together.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0593872274
• ISBN13: 9780593872277
• Release Date: June 2026
• Publisher: Ballantine Books
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 1.12 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.3" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

For fans of the Crown or Downton Abbey, I believe you will highly enjoy this book!!

I really enjoyed this book, and give it 4.5 stars, and highly recommend it. It was easy to read, had great characters, and the story flowed together, even though there were three character's stories going on at the same time. First, we meet Carolyn, the head dresser of the Queen, whose life is hard, but she learns to come out of her shell and start living again. Then there is Lucy, who dreams of being a singer, and as a step in that direction, she finds herself working at the palace hoping to meet a rich and powerful man who can help launch her career, but finds herself pushing boundaries that she never thought she would! Lastly, Miranda, an American journalist, comes to England to go undercover as a palace secretary so she can smuggle details on the coronation back to her magazine in New York, but wonders if the cost of getting that information is really worth it. All of these ladies have a part to play to make the Queen's coronation a success, and find deep friendships that help each of them deal with life alongside their jobs. This book was more about those who helped the Queen get ready for her coronation, and who had to work together, each doing their part, to make it successful. I loved learning about each woman and their specific roles, and realized those working for the royal family have stories of their own. So I enjoyed this story tremendously, and loved how the author converged all three stories in the end, and gave us a glimpse into the coronation.

Heartwarming story of friendship and strong women

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballentine/Penguin Random House for a digital advance reader copy. All comments and opinions are my own unless otherwise noted. If a book features British royalty - fiction or nonfiction - I want to read it. So of course I was looking forward to this book, plus it was written by Jennifer Ryan, who once again did an excellent job of recreating the time period, weaving real events with fictional happenings. Her research is meticulous, and her characters are engaging and likable. The novel began by introducing the three main characters, women who each had problems in their lives that formed the different plot angles. It seemed at first that the Queen and her coronation were not getting much attention in the novel, as Elizabeth was barely mentioned. But the more I read, I realized that Ryan gradually and cleverly included the Queen in the lives/thoughts of the other characters. As the story progressed, not only were there more descriptions of the gown’s preparation and the coronation plans, but the Queen’s thoughts and concerns about her responsibilities as a monarch, a leader, and as a woman. I didn’t want to put this novel down, as I became invested in each of the three main characters. Themes of friendship, found family, trust, independence, and romance were illustrated throughout as the story alternated between the three women’s points of view. What gave the novel more depth was how Ryan developed the similarities and shared experiences of these women and the Queen. Women during the early 1950s had limited freedom, expectations, and constraints – whether a “commoner” or of royal birth. If you enjoy historical fiction and appreciate a heartwarming story focusing on women overcoming personal challenges, you’ll want to read this behind-the-scenes look at the Queen’s coronation.